Lyft has a new fixed-price subscription plan for frequent passengers
Lyft wants you to save money by using rideshare services instead of owning a car. The new Lyft All-Access Plan monthly rideshare trip subscription includes 30 rides a month with a small discount for additional trips. You don't save money on subscription plan rides but bulk ride purchases can help with budgeting.
At 503 mph, Turbinator II is the world’s fastest wheel-driven vehicle
The Turbinator II is a four-wheel drive streamliner powered by a 5,000-horsepower helicopter engine, and it just achieved 503.332 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. That's an unofficial record for a wheel-driven car. Turbinator II's creators have been trying to surpass 500 mph for 20 years.
Heads up, George Jetson: Terrafugia starts taking orders for its flying car
The Terrafugia Transition flying car will go on sale next year, roughly a decade after the first prototype rolled out of its hangar. Terrafugia promises several major improvements, including a hybrid powertrain, to make up for the long wait. The company is one of several entities developing flying cars.
Watch this 1,000-horsepower Jeep Trackhawk scorch supercars in the quarter mile
The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is pretty quick out of the box, but Texas tuner Hennessey Performance Engineering never settles for stock. Its HPE1200 Trackhawk boasts over 1,000 horsepower, runs the quarter mile in under 10 seconds at 145 mph, and does 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds.
Double your charging speed with Nomad’s Tesla Model 3 wireless charger
Nomad's wireless charger for the Tesla Model 3 fits the EV's charging dock exactly. If you plug both of the Nomad's into the Model 3's two front USB ports you can charge two smartphones quickly or one phone twice as fast. An anti-slip rubber base helps keep the charger and phones in place.
‘Bloodhound’ rocket car needs a speedy cash injection to survive
The company behind the rocket-powered Bloodhound car needs a multi-million-dollar cash injection to save its dream of attempting a land speed record of 1,000 mph. The team has been working on the supersonic vehicle for the last 10 years and has its sights set on a record attempt in 2020.
Race car or daily driver? Choose either with the 2019 Porsche Panamera GTS
Porsche has expanded the Panamera lineup with a midrange, GTS-badged model. It's the variant we've been waiting for since the current-generation Panamera arrived in 2017. Part daily driver and part track toy, the GTS is powered by a twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 engine that's rated at 453 horsepower.
Vanderhall Carmel adds creature comforts to the basic three-wheeler formula
The Vanderhall Carmel is the fifth three-wheeler from Utah-based Vanderhall Motor Works. It takes the basic design of the Vanderhall Venice and adds a handful of creature comforts, as well as a more powerful engine. The Carmel goes on on sale in 2019, starting at just under $40,000.
Porsche upgrades German factory to build Taycan electric cars
A Porsche factory that currently builds the automaker's popular sports cars will soon begin churning out Taycan electric cars. In preparation, Porsche is upgrading the factory to be high tech and low emissions. The Taycan is expected to go on sale toward the end of 2019.
Are European-style self-dimming and glare-free headlights coming to the U.S.?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeks comments on a proposal to allow adaptive LED headlights on vehicles sold in the U.S. Legal in Europe already, self-dimming glare-free adaptive LEDs automatically lower headlight intensity when they detect pedestrians or oncoming vehicles.
Ford imagines a future without traffic lights or stop signs
Ford is using vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) tech to allow cars to pass through intersections without stopping. The experimental "Intersection Priority Management" system basically acts as air traffic control for cars. Ford is testing the system in the United Kingdom.
A public/private autonomous driving institute blooms under the Arizona sun
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced the Institute for Automated Mobility (IAM), partnering government, academic, and private organizations to develop technologies and safety standards for self-driving vehicles. Intel is the first private-sector member of IAM, which is administered by the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Watch this driverless Range Rover tackle one of U.K.’s ‘most challenging roads’
Jaguar Land Rover recently sent its under-development autonomous vehicle — a modified Range Rover Sport — onto one of the U.K.'s "most challenging road layouts." A video of the drive shows the high-tech SUV changing lanes, merging with traffic, and exiting junctions with aplomb.
Ford hatches a software update to fix a fiery problem with its GT supercar
Ford warns 200 examples of the GT supercar built between December 2016 and July 2018 can catch fire if hydraulic fluid leaks from the rear wing onto the hot exhaust. It will fix the problem with a software update designed to eliminate the possibility of excessive pressure in the valve block assembly.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado gets serious about MPG with new four-cylinder engine
In an aggressive bid to improve fuel economy, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado will be offered with a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Chevy claims comparable performance to other Detroit automakers' V6 trucks. But will truck buyers be willing to downsize that much?
Going my way? Waze takes its carpooling service nationwide
Following a tentative rollout over the last two years, Waze is launching its carpooling service in all 50 states, offering drivers a chance to fill their spare seats with riders heading in the same direction. Waze says it hopes its service will help reduce congestion in the nation's cities and beyond.
Tesla’s referral program lets owners send laser-etched photos into space
Tesla has a referral program that provides its loyal owners who recommend the company's cars to others with rewards. The latest reward offered through the program is an interesting one: Tesla will laser-etch any photo of the owner's choosing and shoot it into space.
After Tesla’s ‘best car’ boasts, the NHTSA stresses its scale only goes to five
Tesla published a long blog post to announce that the Model 3 is the best car the NHTSA has ever tested. While the electric sedan indeed aced its crash test, the NHTSA clarified that its rating system doesn't go above five stars. Crash test data suggests the Model 3 stands out as one of the safest cars in America.
The saga continues: Faraday Future sets a court date with its main investor
Faraday Future looked better than ever when it announced a $2 billion investment from a Hong Kong-based firm. The relationship hasn't gone as planned and the company is now suing its main investor over late payments. The investor, which owns 45 percent of Faraday Future, denies wrongdoing and vows to fight back.
Vespa Elettrica: Piaggio’s first all-electric scooter is about to hit the road
Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio has launched online pre-orders for its first all-electric scooter, with shipping starting in Europe toward the end of the year and in the U.S. in early 2019. The Vespa Elettrico features a 4-kW motor, has a range of 62 miles, and takes four hours to fully charge.
Ford could let you control a self-driving car with nunchuck-like motions
Ford has received a patent for a technology called Non-Autonomous Steering Modes. This feature could let passengers in self-driving cars steer using their smartphone. The first mode reads the device's movements, much like a Wii's Nunchuck, while the second displays a virtual steering wheel on the smartphone's screen.
Honda is giving cars the ability to see around corners to avoid accidents
Thousands of lives are lost every year in avoidable traffic accidents. Honda is aiming to cut down on fatalities that take place on the road by introducing new "smart intersection" technology that gives vehicles the ability to see around corners and predict possible peril.
‘Navigate on Autopilot’ is conspicuously absent from Tesla software Version 9.0
Tesla began a wide rollout of software update version 9.0 with a number of enhanced features but not the long-promised Navigate on Autopilot feature. New features include mobile app updates, a dash cam, updated climate controls, obstacle-aware acceleration, and enhanced 360-degree views with adjacent lanes.
2018 Jeep Wrangler JL frame defect may force sales stoppage, recall
A frame weld defect has reportedly resulted in a safety recall and a stop-sale for certain 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLs, some of which may be on dealer lots. FCA has not confirmed the recall publicly, which reportedly affects 4 percent or 18,000 Jeeps. If the track bar weld breaks, the vehicle's steering could fail.
Audi’s latest Formula E race car is charged up, ready to vie for the green flag
The Audi e-tron FE05 electric car is ready to take the fight to BMW, Jaguar, and Nissan in the upcoming Formula E racing season. Like all new Formula E cars, Audi's latest incorporates some important changes. The battery pack can now store enough electricity to last an entire race.
Honda hands GM $2.75 billion so it can get the Cruise self-driving unit moving
American Honda Company and General Motors will partner on GM's Cruise self-driving unit, showing once again that developing safe autonomous vehicle tech is too big a task for even the largest automobile manufacturers to handle alone. In addition to $2.75 billion, Honda will also participate with engineering resources.
The White House will promote autonomous cars without forcing you to use one
The White House has published a policy initiative that outlines how it plans to promote the development of self-driving cars. It will make infrastructure upgrades when necessary but it won't fund the technology. And, it wants to remain technology-neutral; it stresses it doesn't want everyone to give up driving.
One tweet cost Elon Musk his chairman job at Tesla and led to a $40M fine
Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk has settled a lawsuit filed by the SEC. He got the fraud charges dropped by agreeing to step down from his role as Tesla chairman and pay a $20 million fine. The company will pay an additional $20 million, appoint an independent director, and vet Musk's communications.
Hybrid, SUV, or both? Bugatti looks at ways to expand its family
Bugatti currently sells a single model, the Chiron, but it's looking at ways to expand its lineup. It hasn't decided when or how yet but an SUV is the most likely option because the sedan segment is declining around the world. It also hasn't ruled out developing a hybrid powertrain to replace its W16.
Indian’s dominating flat-track racer just showed up as a performance street bike
Indian Motorcycle Company just introduced two production street bikes based on the design of Indian's field-dominating FTR750 flat track racer. The 2019 FTR 12000 and FTR 1200 S are enthusiast motorcycles focused on handling and performance with low centers of gravity and free-flowing, predictable power.
For 2019, the Acura ILX gets more pep in its step and a friendlier price
The ILX, Acura's entry-level model, made its debut for the 2013 model year. The Honda-owned firm has given it a makeover that includes a new-look front end, an option package that gives it a sportier design, and more tech inside. The 2019 Acura ILX is also more affordable than the outgoing 2018 version.
Ford wants to avoid chaos by teaching all self-driving cars a common language
Ford stresses communication will play a key part in the safe, orderly, and timely deployment of autonomous technology on public roads. It's calling on every industry player developing autonomous cars (even its rivals) to work together in creating a common language they can use to signal their intentions.
Vayyar’s in-car breath sensor can save you and your kids from senseless tragedy
Vayyar Imaging claims to have developed sensors that can monitor the inside of a car as well as the area around it. Sensors can do things like count the number of passengers, and monitor their breathing. Vayyar announced two supplier partnerships at the 2018 Paris Motor Show.